This article provides five proven methods to drastically improve settlement prosperity in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. We will cover practical steps regarding governor selection, infrastructure investments, security measures, trade optimization, and strategic decision-making. Follow these tips to transform your struggling towns and castles into thriving economic centers.
Improving settlement prosperity is key to a successful and lucrative campaign in Bannerlord 2. A prosperous settlement generates more taxes, attracts skilled workers, and boosts troop recruitment. However, achieving this prosperity requires careful planning and consistent effort.
A skilled governor is crucial for maximizing a settlement’s potential. Look for governors with high Stewardship skills. Stewardship directly impacts tax collection, construction speed, and overall prosperity.
- Identify the right skills: Ideally, you want a governor with at least 100 Stewardship. Consider traits like “Builder” or “Fertile” as well, which provide additional bonuses.
- Cultural compatibility matters: Matching your governor’s culture to the settlement’s culture reduces loyalty penalties and improves overall happiness, which is essential for long-term prosperity. Unhappy towns are unproductive towns.
- Check Governor Perks: Many perks affect Town and Castle management. For example, “Gifting Culture” perk in Stewardship helps resolve cultural differences in the town.
- My personal experience: I once made the mistake of assigning a low-Stewardship governor to a newly conquered town. Despite significant infrastructure investment, the town’s prosperity remained stagnant. Switching to a more competent governor with the right cultural background resulted in a dramatic turnaround within a few in-game months.
Investing in the right infrastructure is vital for long-term growth. Prioritize buildings that directly increase prosperity, security, and food production.
- Key Buildings:
- Granary: Increases food storage capacity, preventing starvation and its negative impact on prosperity.
- Markets: Boosts trade and tax revenue.
- Workshops: Generates income and increases prosperity.
- Garrison: Increases town defense.
- Strategic Upgrades: Don’t just build everything at once. Focus on upgrading existing structures before constructing new ones. For example, upgrading the Granary to Level 3 provides a significant boost to food storage.
- Consider Workshop Synergies: Placing certain workshops together can improve productivity. This is a hidden gem, but it works. For instance, placing a Wool Weavery near a Linen Weavery can give a slight bonus because both can be housed in the same building.
- The mistake to avoid: Avoid focusing solely on military buildings if your priority is economic growth. A strong garrison is important, but a thriving economy is equally crucial for sustaining that garrison.
Here’s a Table of Building Priority:
Building Priority Level Impact on Prosperity Notes Granary High Prevents starvation, stabilizes food prices Essential for preventing negative prosperity impacts. Markets High Increases trade income, boosts overall prosperity Focus on upgrading these early. Workshops Medium Generates income, increases prosperity, provides employment Choose workshops based on available resources in the region for maximum profit. Garrison Medium Improves security, reduces bandit activity Keeps your town from being raided or taken over easily. Walls/Fortifications Low Defensive bonuses Can hold off attacks for longer.
A secure settlement is a prosperous settlement. Constant raids and bandit activity will cripple your economy.
- Garrison Size: Maintain a sufficient garrison to deter attacks. The ideal size depends on the settlement’s wealth and strategic importance.
- Patrols: Send out patrols to eliminate bandit hideouts and reduce bandit activity in the surrounding area. This is crucial for trade routes and peasant productivity.
- High Loyalty & Security: Happy citizens are less likely to rebel or cause trouble. Invest in projects that boost loyalty and security within the settlement.
- Personal Insight: I prioritize clearing nearby bandit camps immediately after acquiring a new settlement. This simple step drastically reduces bandit raids and allows prosperity to grow without interruption.
Trade is the lifeblood of any settlement. Maximizing trade revenue is essential for boosting prosperity.
- Caravans: Encourage caravans to visit your settlement by maintaining good relations with nearby towns and ensuring safe trade routes.
- Local Resources: Focus on producing goods that are in demand in nearby towns. Analyze market prices and adjust production accordingly.
- Taxes: Carefully manage tax rates. High taxes can generate short-term revenue but negatively impact long-term prosperity by discouraging trade and causing unhappiness.
- Control Production: Building the correct workshops based on what the settlement already produces helps to make sure you can produce the raw material. For example, if the village produces Grain, you could build a Brewery in the town to take advantage of that raw material.
- A cautionary tale: I once tried to maximize tax revenue by setting taxes too high. The resulting unhappiness led to decreased production, reduced trade, and ultimately, lower overall income. Finding the right balance is crucial.
Building a prosperous settlement requires a long-term strategic vision. Every decision, from governor selection to infrastructure investment, should be made with the future in mind.
- Prioritize Projects: Focus on projects that have the greatest impact on prosperity, such as improving food production or increasing trade.
- Respond to Events: Be prepared to respond to unexpected events, such as famines or bandit raids. Timely intervention can prevent significant setbacks.
- Cultural investment: Build culture buildings to help resolve cultural issues in the town. Temples are great for boosting cultural acceptance for your kingdom.
- Think long term: A prosperous settlement is not built overnight. It requires consistent effort, careful planning, and a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Why some settlements fail: Settlements that are poorly defended, have low food production, and are plagued by banditry are doomed to failure. Addressing these issues is essential for creating a thriving economic center.
By implementing these five methods, you can transform your settlements into thriving economic powerhouses in Bannerlord 2. Remember, prosperity is not just about wealth; it’s about creating a stable, secure, and happy community that benefits your entire kingdom.
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